You needn’t be a Rhodes Scholar to know a performance management process (PMP) is critical to the effectiveness and ongoing success of every organisation. A PMP is seen as a key tool to transform people’s talent and motivation into a strategic organisational advantage.

‘47% of respondents to the survey were not sure their organisations PM process makes any significant contribution to their business at all.’

Yet a recent performance management system survey conducted by i4CP Institute for Corporate Productivity concluded that only 8% of the 1031 respondents answered ‘yes’ to the question their PM process is seen as contributing to individual performance. Further more 47% of respondents to the survey were not sure their organisations PM process makes any significant contribution to their business at all!

So where does the process fail? Part of the problem can be found in the lack of consistency; only two fifths of respondents received a quality performance appraisal.

The research identified that there are 9 keys practices to improving the quality of your PM process. It is suggested that an organisations PM process, incorporating as many of these 9 key practices as it can is more likely to be perceived as effective when it includes the following;

1. Plans are made during the appraisal process to assist employees develop in there areas for improvement.
2. Ongoing review of goals and feedback from managers
3. Effective training for managers on how to conduct quality performance appraisal meetings.
4. Transparent and easy to understand metrics of the appraisal system
5. Training on ways of addressing and resolving poor performance
6. Objective appraisal information that is not limited to the judgement of superiors
7. A PM process that is consistent across the entire organisation
8. Use of multi-rater feedback i.e. 360 degree feedback
9. A process that is intrinsic to the organisation and sits within the frame work of the organisations daily mechanics. Allowing employees to expect feedback on their performance often more than once a year.

From this list it is clear there is no single magic bullet, every organisation is as unique as the people in it and the process is just that – a process but there is one element that can tie these practices back to the people and inturn the process and that is partnering with an organisation who are the leaders in designing and implementing Performance Management Processes who can transform an ineffective PM process into a truly effective one.